UM Displays Heart and Fight, Subdues North Texas in Five
Oct. 21, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – North Texas tookMiami to five games but the Hurricanes rallied to win their fourth-straight match,3-2 (27-30, 30-23, 30-17, 23-30 & 16-14). UM improves to 10-7 on the season andextends its home record to 8-1.
Miami also wins its first five-game match this season.
“I told them we had to fight and give everything we had to win that match,” saidhead coach Nicole Lantagne. “We played in three previous five-game matches andhad been tentative. It took everything we had to win this match. It was a matterof heart and fight.”
North Texas (9-12) snapped Miami’s 13-game win streak in Coral Gables by takinggame one of the match, 27-30. Sophomore outside hitter Corina Marginas (Brasov,Romania) scored nine kills in 11 attacks as the Mean Green compiled a .400 attackpercentage to UM’s .317.
The Hurricanes answered in game two. Down early by five points (8-13) Miami stormedback and freshman middle blocker Sandra Totten (Thermal, Calif.) tied the matchat 15-15. Miami got its first lead at 16-15 and led 25-22 after a strike by freshmanoutside hitter Elizabeth Tyson (Jacksonville, Fla.). Tyson would go on to scoretwo-straight service aces and Gamarra put the game away, 30-23, with one of hertrademark blistering kills.
UM scored an impressive .400 attack percentage in game two.
Miami got more aggressive in game three, putting together a .423 attack percentage(13-2-26) and stretching its lead to 19-10 before a North Texas timeout. UM wouldwin 30-17.
The Mean Green rallied in the fourth game and won 23-30. The victory evened thematch at 2-2.
In the fifth and final game, North Texas jumped out to a three-point lead at 5-8.Miami went on a 4-1 run to tie the game at 9-9 on a kill from Totten. The leadwent back and forth between the teams until Valeria Tipiana put the Hurricanesup 15-14.
Tipiana scored again on the next rally off a clutch dig from Jamie Grass (ManhattanBeach, Calif.) and Miami won 16-14 to take the match as the crowd exploded.
“It was a very big win — third in a row at home and we were playing against ateam who played the best defense we had seen all season,” said Lantagne. “Theymade us fight for this one and we responded.”
